Category Archives: Desserts/Baking

Cookie Monster Cake and Cupcakes

Posted in Cakes & Muffins, Dessert Etcetera, Desserts/Baking by


I made this cake for our son’s birthday as part of a Sesame Street-themed party. It was actually his “smush cake” — his own cake for grabbing and devouring and making a mess. The blue frosting got all over his hands and mouth and cheeks, which we all found fun and messy!

For the cake, I used this white cake in a 6-inch round pan. I also used one batch of buttercream frosting, tinted with numerous drops of blue food coloring (I lost count of how many drops I used, but it was around 20).

What I did first was make Cookie Monster’s eyes. I used a Wilton Sugar Sheet in black. It’s edible decorating paper and comes in all sorts of colors. You can punch out designs or make your own, then simply peel them off and stick it onto frosting.

I punched out two large dots of the sugar sheet using the wide circular end of a decorating tip for a frosting bag. I placed each dot on the bottom of a paper baking cup, peeled side up, right at the edge. Then I poured melted white chocolate on top, just enough to reach the edges of the cup, and let it cool. I used about 2 oz. of the chocolate, melted in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stirred by hand until it was fully melted.

After frosting the cake blue, I made Cookie Monster’s mouth with the black sugar sheet. I drew the mouth shape first on paper, then cut out the shape and put it over the cake to test what it looked like. I made several different cutouts until I got the shape and size I wanted. I put the paper on the sugar sheet and used the tip of a paring knife to cut around the paper. Then I carefully peeled the mouth shape off of the backing and laid it on top of the frosting. (Tip: Make a very large mouth. If it looks too large once it’s on the cake, you can always make it smaller by covering the edges with frosting.)

I then covered the cake in blue-tinted coconut flakes, sprinkling them over and lightly pressing them into the frosting. I left clear some space at the top for the eyes, so they could adhere to the frosting. I attached the now-hardened white chocolate eyes at the top edge, leaving part of them sticking out over the edge of the cake. I turned the black parts of the eyes in different directions to achieve Cookie Monster’s googly-eyed look.

Lastly, I put a “bitten” chocolate chip cookie on top of the black mouth. I used a knife to cut out a “bite” from the cookie, then laid the bitten cookie at the edge of the mouth and the bite of cookie inside the black to look like Cookie Monster was in the process of eating it. I had baked the cookies with Toll House pre-made cookie dough to save time. Whatever cookie you use, make sure the diameter of the cookie roughly matches the diameter of the eyes, or is even a tiny bit bigger, for the best dimensions.

To make the colored coconut flakes, put 1/2 cup of flakes in a zippered plastic bag. Dissolve a couple of drops of food coloring in 1/2 tsp. water, then add that to the bag, seal, and mash it around with your fingers until the coconut is evenly colored.

COOKIE MONSTER CUPCAKES Continue reading →

Buttercream Frosting

Posted in Cakes & Muffins, Dessert Etcetera, Desserts/Baking by

This fluffy frosting is great for decorating cakes and cupcakes. Easily add color with food coloring.

It comes from the Hummingbird Bakery in London, where tray after tray of colorful cupcakes begin tempting you as soon as you walk through the door. It’s a wonderful but dangerous place for any sweet tooth.

Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes (double the recipe to frost an 8-inch cake)

250g/8 oz. icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar), sifted
80g/3 oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature
25ml/just under 2 Tbsp. milk
a couple of drops of vanilla extract

Beat the sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.

Turn the mixer to slow speed. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time.

Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.

If adding food coloring, add just a couple of drops at a time and mix well until you achieve the desired color.

White Cake

Posted in Cakes & Muffins, Desserts/Baking by

This is the perfect recipe for a cake you want to cover with frosting and decorate. It’s easy and delicious, but the flavor of the cake stays enough in the background so you can highlight the sweet frosting on top. (See this recipe for a good buttercream frosting here.)

I used this as the base for the Cookie Monster Cake. This recipe is for a double-layer 8- or 9-inch round cake. Halve the recipe for a single-layer cake of the same diameter, though I used half in a 6-inch round cake pan and it turned out well.

I clipped this recipe years ago from the newspaper. It said it won an award at the 1997 Boulder county fair for a woman named Jan Bentley. I feel I ought to give her credit for such a delicious creation!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4 egg whites
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C degrees. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Blend in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a separate bowl, mix egg whites, milk, and vanilla. Add liquids slowly to the flour mixture and mix by hand, scraping the sides of bowl, until blended. Beat with the mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes until tops are golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Don’t worry if the top is turning dark and you’re still waiting for the toothpick to come out clean, because you’ll slice off the top later.)

Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and place on wire racks until cool completely, about 2 hours.

Thumbprint Cookies

Posted in Cookies & Brownies & Bars, Desserts/Baking by

These are classic cookies distinguished by big jam-filled circles in the middle. They are cute for children, and you can use different types of jam for a variety of colors, but they’re also nice “grown-up” cookies that go really well with tea or coffee. The cookies themselves are dry and crumbly, which sets off the jam very well.

I think these taste best a day or two after baking. A note about the filling: Avoid jelly, as it doesn’t melt enough to fill the center. And orange marmalade is especially delicious — the slight bitterness is wonderful with the sweetness of the cookie.

Makes about 40

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners’ (icing) sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2/3 cup jam (try to use seedless varieties)

Heat the oven to 350F/175C degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixture, using the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, then add the flour and mix until just combined.

Put flour on your hands and pinch off pieces of dough, then roll them around with your fingers to make 1-inch balls. Space them 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. With a floured thumb, make an indentation in the center of each ball, then fill it with 1/2 tsp. of jam. Be careful not to get jam anywhere except in the center of the cookie.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden around the bottoms. Remove them from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool.

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Posted in Desserts/Baking, Other Desserts by

You won’t believe how good this tastes. For me, this homemade version even rivals Haagen-Dazs — I may never buy their Dulce de Leche again!

The trick here is the egg yolks. The flavor is fine without them, but you’ll end up with an ice cream that’s more ice than cream. The yolks make it smooth and give it a richer flavor.

The skim milk is only to save a bit of fat in such a rich recipe, but go ahead and use whole milk if you’d rather.

Makes about 4 cups

11 oz. skim milk
5.5 oz. heavy cream
13.4-oz. can dulce de leche (I used Nestle La Lechera)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 egg yolks

Combine the milk and cream in a large pot and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the dulce de leche until dissolved. Add the vanilla and the egg yolks. Return to the stove and cook over medium-low heat for about five minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Pour the mixture into a bowl and place it in a larger bowl filled with ice water. Leave for 15-20 minutes until chilled, then pour into ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Note that it will not freeze all the way in the machine, but once it gets firmer, transfer it to a container and place in the freezer until fully frozen.

Banana Cookies

Posted in Cookies & Brownies & Bars, Desserts/Baking, Leftover Ideas by

Baking is by far the best way to use overripe bananas, especially because they mash so well. I always use them to make my tried and true banana bread, but this time I wanted something different, and I thought of banana cookies. I’d never heard of them before, but I was sure that’s what I wanted to make. Then I found a great recipe here. The writer says the recipe came from her grandmother and is more than 70 years old. Here is her recipe, slightly tweaked based on my baking this morning.


1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 1/2 bananas)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup pecans, finely chopped (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives), plus extra whole pecans for topping

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.

Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Try to make the dollops as evenly round as possible. Press a pecan piece into the top of each one.

Bake for 11 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Meringue-topped Fruit Pots

Posted in Other Desserts by

This dessert is perfect to serve to guests. It’s beautiful and delicious, served warm from the oven, and it’s actually not as difficult as it seems.

It uses frozen raspberries, which lets you make this at any time of year, but you could certainly use fresh ones when they’re in season. Separately it calls for plums, but you could also use peaches or nectarines (which I did), or any other soft and juicy fruit.

As for the cookie crumbs, the recipe uses amaretti cookies, but I used Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies and loved the taste. Ginger cookies or any other crispy, special-tasting cookies would work just as well.

If you’re serving this for guests, keep in mind that you can make the fruit in advance, but you must make the meringue just before serving.

This recipe comes from Waitrose, a very nice British supermarket chain where I used to love to shop. I actually remember picking up the recipe card in the checkout line at my favorite Finchley Road branch. It stayed loose in my cookbook until now.

Serves 6

150g (5.3 oz) golden caster sugar or light brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
10 plums, quartered and stones removed (if using peaches or nectarines, cut into eighths)
200g (7 oz.) frozen raspberries
8 amaretti biscuits, crushed
3 medium egg whites

Preheat the oven to 220C or 430F degrees. Place a third of the sugar and the cinnamon stick in a medium-sized saucepan with 150ml (half a cup) of water. Gently heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the plums to the pan, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes, or until the plums have softened. Remove from the heat and stir in the frozen raspberries. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then remove the cinnamon stick. Stop here if you make this ahead of time.

Divide the crushed biscuits among 6 small ramekins (in 200ml or 3/4 cup size), then spoon the stewed fruits over.

In a clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites to a stiff peak. Gradually whisk in the remaining sugar until you have a stiff, glossy meringue. Heap some meringue onto the top of each ramekin. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 5 minutes, or until the meringue is golden. Serve immediately.

Crispy-Chewy Truffle Brownies

Posted in Cookies & Brownies & Bars, Desserts/Baking by

I tasted these delicious brownies last week when a colleague brought them in to work. They were so good that I made them a few days later for a New Year’s Eve party, and they seemed to be a hit. I’m embarrassed to say it includes a packaged mix, but these were pretty darn awesome.

Makes 2 dozen

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 box devil’s food cake mix (15–18 oz.)
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with foil and wrap it over the edges. Melt butter in microwave or on stovetop.

Combine in large bowl the butter, cake mix, egg, and vanilla. Blend with electric mixer 1–2 minutes or until crumbly. If you have it, use a flat beater, like this one:

Transfer 1 cup of mixture to medium bowl, stir in nuts and 1 cup morsels, set aside.

Press remaining crumb mixture firmly into baking dish. Bake 15 minutes.

Place in small saucepan the remaining 1 cup morsels and condensed milk. Cook and stir on low heat 2–3 minutes or until smooth; pour over crust.

Top with nut mixture; bake 20–25 minutes or until topping is firm to the touch. Let stand 30–40 minutes or until completely cooled. Remove foil from baking dish and cut into bars. Serve.

(This recipe is originally from Publix, with some minor changes.)

Apple Muffins

Posted in Cakes & Muffins, Desserts/Baking by

The fresh, fragrant apples of fall are often celebrated in great apple pies, but here’s another way to enjoy them. This is one of the first recipes I pasted in the “Cakes & Muffins” section of my cookbook 15 or so years ago, having found it in a brochure from the New York Apple Association. It’s now on the association’s website, along with lots of other apple recipes, descriptions of the various apple varieties, and even a link to some apple cider recipes. And, apparently, they’re still printing those brochures.

This recipe was invented by elementary school students in North Syracuse, New York, according to the association. I’ve changed just a few details.

The Official New York State Apple Muffin
Makes 20-24

Topping:
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Muffins:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups chopped apples (2 large or 3 small)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Prepare topping by mixing all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

For the muffins, combine the first seven ingredients in a bowl. Combine the rest in a separate bowl, then add the dry ingredients a little at a time. Stir until just combined; do not over-mix.

Portion the batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups and sprinkle with topping. (If you want big muffins that slightly overflow the edges, fill only 20 cups.)

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Raspberry Pear Tart

Posted in Desserts/Baking, Pies & Tarts by

This is a great recipe I found last year in the magazine “Taste of Home.” It turned out well and wasn’t complicated — and it was a hit at dinner with friends the other night.

Here’s the recipe, tweaked just a tiny bit.

CRUST:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup cold butter
1/3 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts

FILLING:
3 medium pears (try Bosc), peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

TOPPING:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 cup cold butter
1/3 cup roughly chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 425F degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 11-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom.

In a large bowl, combine the pears, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon peel. Add raspberries; toss gently. Pour into crust. Bake for 25 minutes.

For topping, in a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and lemon peel; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle over filling.

Bake 15-20 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.